Clofazimine: Can it be Useful in COVID 19?

Clofazimine is a riminophenazine dye originally used as an antitubercular agent after its first synthesis in 1954, just few years after it was administered as a treatment for leprosy by YT Chang. In the following years, also an anti-inflammatory effectiveness on erythema nodosum leprosum was recognized [1]. In the ‘70s, its therapeutic activity on discoid lupus erythematosus and pyoderma gangrenosum was documented [2]. The safety of Clofazimine is good with a median frequency of the most reported adverse event (skin discoloration and gastrointestinal events) of 5.1% and a requiring discontinuation of the treatment in 0.1% of cases [3].